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HIDA FREE TOUR (Not Kyoto but Hida Furukawa & Takayama, Gifu)

I am a local volunteer who is passionate about my hometown, Hida region. I will provide local tours in Hida: Free Walking Tour & Hida Izakaya Crawl for free.

Kyoto, Japan

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About Activity

Summary

Summary:
Firstly, it is not a tour in Kyoto but in Hida area which is often called "Small Kyoto". Sorry for confusion but this website does not allow me to choose my locatoin....
Anyway, Hida Furukawa (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5976.html) is located near Takayma, only about 15 minutes by train. Frukawa has an atmosphere different from Takayma, which is more quiet and not commercialized. You can feel people’s lives in this town. Guided by a true local, you will get to know main historical sites and stories from local’s point of view. Why am I doing this for free? This is because I want to make my hometown famous in the world and to get it revitalized through tourism. I studied in US and UK and so believe I have no problem with communication in English. When I experienced free walking tours in Europe, their professionalism in guiding travelers impressed me, resulting in Hida Free Tour. As with other free walking tours, I try to provide deep insights into the local area and Japan.
Our philosophy is “be a traveler, not a tourist.”
You can also check my facebook page to get the sense of tours: "Going Local – HIDA FREE TOUR"

Izakaya Crawl => In this 3 to 5 - hour tour in Hida Furukawa, we will go to Izakayas not known for travelers. This covers all the main local food and sakes that include:
・Keichian (grilled chicken with miso)
・Tsukemono Steak (Stir Fried Pickles)
・Tofu Steak (Stir Fried Tofu)
・Horai & Shiramayumi
And some more hidden places….

Availability:
I am doing this as a volunteer. As I have other work, it is not possible to guarantee my availability. So please contact me for availability!

Meeting Point:
Walking Tour => In front of Hida Furukawa train station. Usually at 10am or 2pm but time could be flexible depending on your needs.
Izakaya Crawl => In front of Hida Furukawa train station. Usually at 6:15pm but time could be flexible depending on your needs.
Price Includes:
I have to put 10 dollars for the sake of using this site to cover costs). If taking Izakaya Crawl, in addition you just need to pay for what you eat and drink. If you search Hida Free Tour in facebook and book through there, the cost is actually free.

Price Doesn't Include:
If taking Izakaya Crawl, it does not include food & drink so please pay for what you get in Izakayas.

BOOKING

Price

: US$10 / Person

Place

: Kyoto, Japan

Duration

: 2 h 30 min.

Ask to Shingo

About LocalHost

► About Me
- Hi my name is Shingo. Just in case I don't look like the profile picture which was taken at Holy festival in India. I grew up in Hida Furukawa, spending 18 years in the town. After high school, I went to university around Tokyo and had an opportunity to study at California State University as an exchange student.
- My first career was investment banker in Tokyo, which coincided the time Sub-prime crisis started to appear. Spending 7 years in the bank, I learned and experienced so many important things.
- In 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake happened. This made me feel like going back to my hometown more although I always thought about it.
- Before going back, I decided to take an MBA program in UK, which was one of my dreams.
- Now I am back in my hometown in order to achieve my vision: Revitalize my hometown by making the town famous in the world.
- In order to do so and to improve my knowledge about my hometown, I have decided to do Hida Free Tours as a volunteer.

► My Hobbies
- Love traveling, reading, skateboarding, and guiding my hometown to people from all over the world.
- Most recently interested in European history

► Favorite Quotes
- Be a traveler, not a tourist
- You will never fail until you stop trying
- Stay hungry stay foolish
- You are the average of 5 people you spent most time with

► My best travel experience
- Travel to Brussels in July 2015. At first honestly speaking I did not have good impression on the city when I arrived. After taking walking tour by local, everything looked different and I got to like the city. This experience was really something to me. A guide by a true local has huge power.
- Backpacking to India was really fun as well. I made a local friend and he invited me to visit his company's office. We ate local food together and he even gave me souvenirs! It was all done by good will.